Pushback

Democratic Mutiny Over Budget

President loses on taxes, subsidies, and emissions.

We knew the Republicans were battling with Obama over the budget—but the Democrats? The New York Times reports the president, who has invited five senior members of his own party to fill in some budget details, is getting a lot of pushback. The lawmakers—Senators Baucus and Conrad, and Reps. Rangel, Waxman and Spratt—have erased his proposal to limit tax deductions for the wealthiest 1.2 percent of taxpayers; his cuts in government subsidies to big farmers and agribusiness; and his planned cap on emissions. Obama “is taking a gamble in outsourcing the drafting of his agenda’s details to these five veteran lawmakers and others in Congress, each with his own political and parochial calculations,” The Times reports. But the president is not going to roll over: The White House is indicating it will push back against the senators.